ATLANTA—“The world will not have peace unless we understand and have tolerance and compassion for one another,” said Kathleen McNulty, after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Cobb Energy Centre with her husband, Bill.

Mrs. McNulty, who formerly served as the director of volunteer services for the county, said that she and her husband were very spiritual people.

Shen Yun, a New York-based company, aims to revitalize traditional Chinese culture, believed to be divinely inspired, through music and dance.

“I thought it was the most elegant performance I’ve ever seen,” said Mrs. McNulty, who loved the performance.

She thought the costumes were gorgeous, and that their colors were mixed in unexpected ways that really worked beautifully when put together. “It was lovely.”

“Great message of peace and unity,” he said, adding that they'd be back again to see the performance.

Curt Robins, a partner in a large national finance firm, was also in the audience on Friday. He has traveled through the Asia and said that Shen Yun was better than performances he’s seen in South East Asia. “It was awesome,” he said.

Mark Crutchfield, attending with Mr. Robins, thought the music was exhilarating. “It was unbelievable. You don’t get that anywhere,” he said. Mr. Crutchfield works in customer service for Infinity.

Of the overall evening, “very spiritual,” Mr. Crutchfield noted. “The message more than anything was to save the culture and beliefs of the Chinese people.”

“Really enjoyed it, really enjoyed it,” Mr. Robins said. “Can’t wait for the next one,” he added in expectation of Shen Yun’s entirely new performance next year.